Tire lock



March 29, 1938. I J. ABRAHAMS 2,112,651

TIRE LOCK Filed March 51, 1936 INVENTOR. Jacob Abrahams A TORNEY.

Patented Mar. 29, 1938 iv 2,112,661

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TIRE LOCK Jacob Abrahams, Bradley Beach, N. J.

Application March 31, 1936, Serial No. 71,845 2 Claims. (o1. 157'-s) This invention is a tire lock adapted to facilithese results without damage to the tire and tate the mounting of a vehicle tire upon a sogreatly facilitates the mounting of a tire on a rim called drop center rim. Rims of the character of the character described. 1

described are made solid, in contradistinction to In its preferred practical form, the tool of this 5 the well known split rim, and are provided with invention comprises a hook shaped head adapted drop centers of lesser diameter than the reto hook over one flange of a rim and surmountmainder of the rim, so as to make it possible to ing a handle of suflicient length to bear against place a tire on and. remove the same from the the hub or spokes of the associated wheel, and

rim without stretching the bead of the shoe. The said head is provided with a projecting finger l0 dropcenter ofthe rim permits a portion of the shaped to substantially conform to the side wall tire already placed upon the rim to drop therein of a tire shoe and is sufliciently high to prevent and thus permit successive portions of the tire the bead of the shoe from slipping over the hook to be passed over the circumferential rim flange shaped head. The free end of the head is of until the entire shoe is in place on the rim. sufficient width to substantially bridge the space Experience has shown, however, that while it is between the flange and-the drop center of the 16 a relatively simple matter to introduce a portion rim, so as to guide the bead into said drop center of the tire on to the rim, it is extremely diflicult when tension is placed on the bead incident to to keep that portion in place while successive porthe introduction into the rim of successive portions are worked over the edge of the rim, for, as tions of the tire.

2 the workman proceeds along therim to place suc- The tool of the present invention is economical" 20 cessive portions of the shoe bead therein, that to "manufacture and thoroughly eificient in its portion, which he has previously introduced, slips operation.

out, so that one portion of the tire already in Features of the invention, other than those adplace comes off of the rim as fast as he can put verted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter in the new portion. detailed description and claims, when read in con- 25 The experienced tire man attempts to hold the junction with the accompanying drawing. mounted portion ofthe tire in place with a tire The accompanying drawing illustrates :one

iron held in one hand, while he manipulates the practical embodiment of the invention, but the successive portions into position. Even an exconstruction therein shown is to Ice understood perienced hand, however, finds difiiculty in acas illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits 30 complishing this, and the result is that the maof the invention. jority of tires are placed on drop center rims Figure 1 is a fragmental perspective section through the use of heavy hammers and the like showing a portion of a wheel having a drop center which seriously injure the tire through the imtire rim with a tire partially mounted thereon proper application of the same. and illustrating the manner in which the tire lock 35 The object of the present invention is to elimiof the present invention cooperates with the rim nate this difficulty through the provision of a and tire to facilitate this operation. 7 simple and eflicient tool which materially assists Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tire lock in holding a portion of the shoe in position, while detached from the rim.

successive portions of the shoe are placed on the In the accompanying drawing, l designates a 40 rim. I have found that the secret of accomconventional drop center rim having side flanges plishing this result satisfactorily is to provide a 2 and 3 and a drop center channel 4. A tire tire lock which will hold its position at some preshoe, indicated at 5, is conventional in form, and determined point in the circumference of the rim is provided with the usual beads 6 and I. The

and which is so shaped that that portion of the inner tube is not shown. 45

tire which comes in contact with the lock will be The tire lock of the present invention embodies forced into radial alinement with the drop center a hook shaped head 8 formed on one end of a of the rim, so as to guide the head of that handle 9. Said head is substantially semicircular portion of the tire into the drop center as succesin form and is adapted to be hooked over the 5 sive portions of the tire are placed on the rim flange 3, as shown, while the handle 9 is adapted and to so hold the tire during this operation, that, to rest against the spokes or hub of the wheel when the lock is in place, that portion of the tire with which the rim is associated. The inner diwhich has been introduced on to the rim will not ameter r of the hook shaped head 8 is such as become inadvertently displaced. to permit it to 'be readily hooked over the flange 3,

The tool of the present invention accomplishes while the thickness t of the free end of the head 55 is approximately equal to the substantially fiat portion III of the rim which lies between the flange 3 and the drop center channel 4.

Projecting upwardly from the head 8 and formed integral therewith is a projecting finger ll adapted to reach in an outward radial direction beyond the head 8 and having its inner edge shaped on a curve I2 which substantially conforms to the shape of the side wall of the shoe 5. This edge 12 merges into the corresponding edge [3 of the head to form therewith an o-gee curve which conforms to the shoe section.

In practice, a portion of the circumference of the bead 1 of the shoe is sprung over the flange 3 and thereafter the lock of the present invention is hooked over said flange, as shown in Fig- This having been done, the operator proure 1. ceeds to work along the tire in, for example, a clockwise direction, using the usual tire iron to lift-that portion of the bead I, which remains without the rim, over the edge of the rim and into the interior thereof. As he does this, the bead 1 is placed under tension and, because of the configuration of the edges I2 and I3, these edges guide that portion of the head which is next to the tire lock in such manner as to press it inwardly free from contact with the flat sur-' face I01 and into radial'alinement with the drop channel .4. so that as successive portions of the tire are placed on the rim, the bead l radially is guided into' the drop channel without undue wear or strain thereon, thereby permitting the tire to be readily placed on the rim throughout its entire circumference.

In the tool of the present invention, the projecting finger H is important for it precludes the bead from mounting'and slipping over the hook shaped head when tension is applied to the bead, and it cooperates with the edge l3 of the head to guide the side wall of the shoe into a position wherein the bead will drop easily into the channel 4.

When. the tool of the present invention is employed, there is no hammering or pounding necessary on the tireand it may be conveniently, easily and expeditiously installed on the rim.

After the whole tire has been positioned on the rim, the locking member of this invention is removed and the tire immediately springs into proper position with the bead 1 resting on the flat portions of the rim.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the present invention in its preferred practical form, but the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure .by Letters Patent is:

l. A tire tool for mounting a tire on a drop center rim comprising a handle provided at one end with a hook shaped head adapted to be hooked over and rest against the inner side of one flange of the drop center rim and projecting inwardly across the flat portion or ledge of the rim, said head having a curved edge contiguous to and forming a continuation of the adjacent side wall of the drop center channel of the rim to guide a tire head into the bottom of the channel and a projecting finger surmounting said head to bear against the-side wall of the tire for the greater portion of the height of the latter, the tire contacting edge of said finger substantially conforming to the contacting side wall of the tire and merging into the free end portion of the hook shaped head, the free end portion of the handle being adapted to engage the wheel hub and hold the tool in place.

2. A'tire tool for mounting a tire on a drop center rim comprising a handle, a hook on the handle adaptedto be hooked over one flange of the rim with the handle contacting a part of the wheel, said hook having an end adapted to bear against the inside wall of the flange and extending across the flat portion of the rim with the outer face of the hook forming a continuation of the contiguous side wall of. the drop center channel to guide the bead of the tire into said channel; and a finger surmounting the hook having an outer surface substantially conforming to the contour of the side of the tire and forming a continuation of the bead guiding surface of the hook. I 1

' JACOB ABRAHAMS. 

